What has Nursing become?

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Specializes in Surgical Nursing, Agency Nursing, LTC.

I've been nursing for only 6 years now. I'm getting to the point that as the years go by I find my self dissatified with the occupation. Nursing isn't what I thought it was going to be. Don't get me wrong, If I were to lose my license I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Nursing is all I've known. The problem is for me:

1. I work in a well known hospital in the ER. I have came across some cold, mean, hateful, ungreatful, and disrepectful people. I cold go on with the list but I'll keep it short. People will come into the ER for "emergency" and treat nurses like S--T. I'm here to help you and your treating me like trash on the street. Don't come to the hospital for a nice bed, free food, TV and a nurse that u think will be ur server for the day.

2. The politics is redicioulus. It would be nice If I could come to work and just take care of the patients. DON's say they are all for supporting their nurses but when the doors are closed with upper management, they sing a different tune? A death tune!

3. I went into nursing "thinking" that the other nurses would be team players and everyone would come together and take care of the patients, not just the ones they are assigned to. Not sit at the desk drinking or eating and see me working my A-s off trying to get caught up and waits until the hard work is over and then ask "do you need any help".

I'll probably be in nursing until my health won't allow it. I just get frustrated that the public don't have respect for Nurses and nurses don't have repect for each other.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Maybe a change in area would help? One of the reasons I didn't choose the ER was because of the way I'd be treated. One of the places that treats our nurses better is the Onco unit -- you have frequent flyers but they're usually pretty ill and they appreciate you more.

Or maybe it's time to think about taking classes and changing to a manager type position?

The good thing about nursing is the variety of places we can work.

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Specializes in ER/SICU.
....I find my self dissatified with the occupation. Nursing isn't what I thought it was going to be....I have came across some cold, mean, hateful, ungreatful, and disrepectful people. I cold go on with the list but I'll keep it short. People will come into the ER for "emergency" and treat nurses like S--T. I'm here to help you and your treating me like trash on the street. .......I just get frustrated that the public don't have respect for Nurses and nurses don't have repect for each other.

The ER cause burnout out very quickly most rns after 2-3 years of working a busy ER are usually angry and resentful about most of the pts the see. It is hard to see that never ending stream of drug seekers, criminals, idiots(drunks cleaning gun and forgot to unload it, parents leaving a toddler alone in the house with stuff boiling on the stove the 80% burn pts who blow up his meth lab) and the people who confuse hotels and hospitals.

I left the ER to get my ICU exp for crna school but I continued to work 5-10 shifts a month in the ER. I never realized how burnout I was until I left. Recovering hearts allowed me to take care of sick patients who for the most part appreciated nursing care. It was almost a daily event for a patient's family to bring in food for the staff to try and thank you for helping out their family member. I lost my negativity with the change and when I would go back and pick up extra shifts, I enjoyed the ER more than I had in a while.

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Dealing with disrespectful people in the ER must be so hard!

Some of the public have respect for nurses. It is in the top 3 of the Harris poll of most prestigious professions.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

1. Sometimes the way the patients treat me on my unit is apalling. I work med-surg trauma. My facility saved their life, or at least patched them up, and all they do is whine and complain. Fortunately this is a small majority of patients, but it can ruin my day.

2. Every organization has a culture and politics. What I don't like it the economics of having to submit a budget every year that gets smaller and smaller, and the bean counters and adminsitrators look at nursing staff as their largest expense to be cut.

3. People can't read your mind. If you need help, ask the person sitting there rather than presume they need to get up and help you and that they are a horrible person. It would be nice that when a person is done with everything and has spare time (which doesn't happen much where I work) they would check with the team and ask if they can help. But since some don't, ask them for help when you need it.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
I've been nursing for only 6 years now. I'm getting to the point that as the years go by I find my self dissatified with the occupation. Nursing isn't what I thought it was going to be. Don't get me wrong, If I were to lose my license I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Nursing is all I've known. I have came across some cold, mean, hateful, ungreatful, and disrepectful people. I went into nursing "thinking" that the other nurses would be team players and everyone would come together and take care of the patients, not just the ones they are assigned to. Not sit at the desk drinking or eating and see me working my A-s off trying to get caught up and waits until the hard work is over and then ask "do you need any help". I'll probably be in nursing until my health won't allow it. I just get frustrated that the public don't have respect for Nurses and nurses don't have repect for each other.

It sounds like you are experiencing burnout. Have you thought about changing to a less stressful department or changing to a job outside the hosp like HH, dialysis, Dr's office?

I got burnout on med/surg. Everyone I worked with and took care of (esp the families) really upset me on a daily basis and I realized it was time to get out. I did HH and "loved" it. Long story short...they changed the pay rate, downwards, I went back to the hospital and work in Radiology. I love it and the pay is much better than the floor. Easy paced. Learning lots of new things.

Sounds like you need a change too!

It's a d*** shame that the general public doesn't appreciate nurses for the incredible, skillful, responsible, compassionate jobs that we do for them and their loved ones. If they only knew...

I consider myself a HEALTHCARE SURVIVOR only I didn't gain fame or get a million bucks, but that's ok I know the differences I've made in lives even if it wasn't appreciated.

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The hospital I used to work at, I hated our ER. I wouldn't work down there for anything. They hired 12 new grads, and there was no expansion.... Now I would go there for treatment if I needed it, but not to work.

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It sounds like you are experiencing burnout. Have you thought about changing to a less stressful department or changing to a job outside the hosp like HH, dialysis, Dr's office?

I got burnout on med/surg. Everyone I worked with and took care of (esp the families) really upset me on a daily basis and I realized it was time to get out. I did HH and "loved" it. Long story short...they changed the pay rate, downwards, I went back to the hospital and work in Radiology. I love it and the pay is much better than the floor. Easy paced. Learning lots of new things.

Sounds like you need a change too!

It's a d*** shame that the general public doesn't appreciate nurses for the incredible, skillful, responsible, compassionate jobs that we do for them and their loved ones. If they only knew...

I consider myself a HEALTHCARE SURVIVOR only I didn't gain fame or get a million bucks, but that's ok I know the differences I've made in lives even if it wasn't appreciated.

I have several friends and relatives working in GI labs in various places and they all love it just like you.

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Dealing with disrespectful people in the ER must be so hard!

Some of the public have respect for nurses. It is in the top 3 of the Harris poll of most prestigious professions.

The public respects the us because most of us are doormats. The ones who are walked all over by EVERYONE". If nurses stood our ground, and pushed back as hard as people push at us, demanded professional wages and RESPECT, the numbers would be alot lower. JMHO, and my NY 0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

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Specializes in EC, IMU, LTAC.
The public respects the us because most of us are doormats. The ones who are walked all over by EVERYONE". If nurses stood our ground, and pushed back as hard as people push at us, demanded professional wages and RESPECT, the numbers would be alot lower. JMHO, and my NY 0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

AMEN, AMEN! Don't be a martyr! Don't be coerced into being a doormat by people pulling the, "Nurses are supposed to be selfless and compassionate," bullcrap.

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Specializes in Med/Surg; Psych; Tele.
AMEN, AMEN! Don't be a martyr! Don't be coerced into being a doormat by people pulling the, "Nurses are supposed to be selfless and compassionate," bullcrap.

I totally agree with this concept; however, the reality is that management really wants us to be viewed this way...."at your service with everything else in the world pushed aside (including my 5 other patients)". Indeed, we are supposed to just "take it" and please the "patient/customer" (which unfortunately includes the family). It's all about the big green...we are the expense and the "customers" are the profit. Didn't you know that we're supposed to be able to clone ourselves and meet ALL patient needs at the MOMENT they arise!

I am still pissed off about a selfish idiot family member that went to my charge nurse (who then went to my manager) because he ASSUMED (naturally there can only be one reality - stupid, selfish f*$#) that I was "grumbling" about taking care of his father (helping tech to change a diaper), while in fact, I was grumbling, to myself about all of the incredible stress I was under at that exact moment in time (I just happened to be walking towards that room). Well, I can understand how he could have initially thought that, but come to find out later, this fool went on to very much exaggerate, even lie, to my manager during the investigation into the complaint. Basically, this idiot, was mis-directing his grief reaction about his father is what I have concluded. But the utter selfishness....to attempt to jeopardize another's job, based on an assumption (not even giving me a chance to correct this)....that just completely blows me away. Sorry for the rant, still buggin me obviously. And not to brag here, but I VERY often get "props" from my patients.

Some patients do have a clue though. They'll say things like, "I'm sorry to be a bother/I know you're running your tail off today, but...(legitimate request)". I then promptly "get on to them" for saying they are a bother and then tell them their needs are a top priority REGARDLESS. Then of course, I walk away just feeling pissed about the "work the nurse to death" system.

As far as lazy co-workers....it's infuriating! I know, in their mind (at least one I know of for sure), they've "earned" the right to sit because they were super-organized and efficiently got their work done. Maybe a small part of that is true. But, these are also the nurses who do the basic minimum to maintain employment as a nurse too. There are some of the same faces I often see this from at work...they hide out in the break room, and then the call lights are going off, and oh, I should be the one to answer it because I am physically closer (nevermind that they are eating, talking, whatever, while I am sitting at the computer, looking up test results, etc. or looking up a number to call an MD). Free time/being caught up is a huge gift on a med-surg floor, but I know that there is always someone who needs help. They can always reject my offer and say they're ok. Lazy nurses are not team players and patient care suffers as a result. Rant over ;)

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Specializes in ub-Acute/LTC, Home Health, L&D, Peds.

Kinda off topic but I have found being a nurse working for a for profit business/facility extremely difficult!!

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